City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Rochester, NY are 8.7% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $108,700 in Rochester, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,256 a month in Rochester, NY versus $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Rochester, NY and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $293 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Columbus, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.8% moving from Columbus, GA to Rochester, NY ($112,556 → $107,182), while prices change by +8.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.4% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much cheaper)
- Rochester, NY: price level 97.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Columbus, GA | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,667 in Rochester | $92,025 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Rochester, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$293/yr.
44 Weak offer
Rochester, NY → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$293/yr.
96 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Rochester, NY | Real change, Columbus → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $62,155 | −12.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $75,202 | −12.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $90,135 | −12.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $107,182 | −12.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $126,657 | −12.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $62,840 | $57,828 (−5.8%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $122,770 | $112,979 (−2.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $80,890 | $74,439 (+1.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $86,570 | $79,666 (−3.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.